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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27267430">purr-fect match</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealady19/pseuds/tealady19'>tealady19</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sweet on you [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Demons, Demon Shiro (Voltron), Established Relationship, Fluff, Halloween, M/M, Suspense, Witch Keith (Voltron), just a little</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:22:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27267430</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealady19/pseuds/tealady19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Busy Halloween season aside, Keith's ready for a relaxing date.  Trouble is, Shiro's idea of a midnight stroll on October 30th ends up a little different than what Keith's expecting.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sweet on you [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1990756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>purr-fect match</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The second part of my previous witch/demon au, written for <a href="http://twitter.com/trickorsheith">trickorsheith</a> day 5: witching hour/black cat.  I feel like I managed to work in both prompts while at the same time not really touching on either one, whoops!</p><p>I also tried out something a little spookier for the season, but most of this ended up being as sweet as you'd expect from me.</p><p>Also thanks to <a href="http://twitter.com/stardropdream">Robin</a> for letting me sneak a 'New Love' tea reference in there! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There’s a chill in the air and the wind is starting to pick up, but Keith doesn’t have time to think about the coming months of cold. He’s been running back and forth from the herbal shop all week, his potion stores constantly running out, charm stocks entirely depleted. It’s like this every year.</p><p>There’s two more days until Halloween and Keith is bordering on overwhelmed already.</p><p>Surprisingly, it’s a little easier this year: this is the first year he’s had Shiro by his side as more than just a friend. Their first Halloween as a couple, Keith thinks as he stops and stares sappily at the dried roses hung in the doorway of his kitchen workroom. Shiro had brought him those, arranged artfully into a posy with a ribbon tied around them that shimmers black and purple with his demonic magic. Every time Keith stands underneath it, his lips tingle like Shiro has just kissed him. It makes him so sappy Kosmo has refused to go in the workroom unless he’s summoned.</p><p>It doesn’t keep him out of the regular kitchen though. He’s still a beggar whenever Keith makes dinner.</p><p>Changing up his apartment layout that summer has proven to be one of Keith’s better decisions, and having installed the second kitchen space in the empty second bedroom has kept his actual kitchen from getting any more spell-scorched than it already is. It’s on it’s way to becoming the least habitable part of his home, so Shiro had helped him out creating his own workspace in the tiny room Keith had mostly been using as storage.</p><p>There are strong wards on the walls that Shiro has said are to protect him from any future unexpected summonings, no matter how much he’s practiced his pronunciation. Keith thinks it’s just Shiro staking his claim on Keith and Keith’s space as his territory, but Keith doesn’t really mind. It’s kind of nice, actually, to be wanted so much.</p><p>Sometimes when it’s late and he hasn’t seen Shiro in days, he’ll stand under that posy in the workroom door and trace a finger along his tingling lips, imagining Shiro standing there with him. His imagination is pretty good, but it’s no excuse for the real thing. Keith’s stood under that posy more nights than not this past few weeks. They’ve both been so busy.</p><p>He leaves the doorway, mid-morning sun shining through the windows in his living room and illuminating Kosmo where he lies on his back in a sunbeam. His paws twitch happily in the air and he twists into a curve to look at Keith when he feels his presence.</p><p>
  <em>Going out?</em>
</p><p>“Yeah,” Keith replies, snagging his jacket and a red checked scarf front the hook by the door. Shiro had given him his own hook with his own K charm on it so that they matched, he’d said with a look of absolute joy on his face, and there’s another with an S on it beside it. It’s empty right now. Has been for weeks, but Keith knows that his hook at Shiro’s house has been just as empty. They’ll see each other soon.</p><p>Well, soon for things other than work. He’s got another list of ingredients he’s run out of, and is hoping Shiro will have some others back in stock when he’d tried to get them last week. He uses so much juniper this time of year, but apparently so does everyone else.</p><p><em>Me too?</em>  Kosmo might have taken a wolf form but he’s as eager as a puppy with his tail wagging on the floor at the prospect of a walk.</p><p>“Only if you’re interested in wearing a leash.”</p><p>It’s excessively funny to watch his familiar wrinkle his doggy nose, and a little impressive too actually - Keith has no idea how he manages it. But he rights himself and then rummages around under the couch for the harness Keith puts on him when they walk. It’s a show for polite society but they’re both very aware Kosmo could just poof out of it whenever he wants. He’s very generous when he allows Keith to put the harness on him and makes absolutely certain he gets the required number of treats for his complicity.</p><p>It doesn’t take him long to get in it and soon enough Keith is stuffing his feet into his boots and winding the scarf around his neck, Kosmo’s lead secured at his waist. The familiar sits besides him and waits like a good boy and that’s Keith’s first indication that something is up. Well, actually his first indication was Kosmo wanting to leave his sunbeam, but it’s still weird.</p><p>The walk in the brisk October air is invigorating after most of the morning cooped up in his workroom. He’s got twelve more orders to fill before the 31st and he’s hoping he’ll be able to get the last of his supplies on this run. He’s been at the herbal shop pretty much every day.</p><p>Keith doesn’t mind though, because right now it’s the only time he’s able to see Shiro. They’ve barely even had time for calls in the evening, though they do still text, and the last time they’d spent any meaningful time together was Keith’s birthday last week. Shiro had even stayed the night - almost unheard of with his current schedule.</p><p>Shiro had told him Allura had forced Lotor to actually go in to work the shopfront in order to give Shiro the whole afternoon and evening off to spend with Keith. He’d put up a bit of a stink about it but Lotor has been unable to deny Allura anything since the dawn of time, Shiro had said. Keith thought he’d been exaggerating but who really knew how old those two are?</p><p>Either way, Keith hasn’t seen Shiro in almost a week beyond ringing him up at the counter and Keith wants to change that. Just for an hour before Halloween, and then once November hits they are going to spend a week in bed and Keith is going to figure out all the tricks his demon boyfriend has learned over the years.</p><p>Kosmo trots happily at his side, ears perked and pausing to sniff at every jack-o-lantern along their path. He’s never this well behaved. It makes Keith worried.</p><p>It turns out that what’s hooked Kosmo’s attention isn’t nearly so sinister as Keith has been expecting. They turn the corner onto the sideroad towards the herbal shop and Kosmo’s tail starts to wag. He doesn’t pull at the lead at first, but then Keith hear’s Hunk’s rumbling laugh and is jerked sideways at the waist towards the sound.</p><p>“Hey buddy! Or, buddies!” Hunk smiles at them as Kosmo drags Keith across the street. Keith waves exasperatedly back. He should have known.</p><p>“Hey, Hunk,” Keith returns. Hunk is standing just outside the door, a tray of sweet smelling baked goods in his hands. He’s handing out samples, it looks like.</p><p>“You guys are just in time!” Hunk holds out his tray like a prize. “You gotta try these.”</p><p>They look like little deep fried, powdered sugar-covered squares. Kosmo’s nose is almost on the tray when Hunk moves it out of his reach. He doesn’t get away quite fast enough but rather than stealing a pastry Kosmo inhales at the wrong time and gets a nose full of powdered sugar.</p><p>He sneezes six times in a row and then turns to Keith and Hunk with the absolute saddest puppy dog eyes. Both of them burst into laughter.</p><p>“Oh no, bud!” Hunk shifts the tray to one hand, wiping his tearing eyes. “You okay there?”</p><p>Keith fishes out a handkerchief from his back pocket and wipes the excess powder from Kosmo’s snout as best he can. “That was kind of a dumb thing to do,” he says, but there’s laughter in his voice. Kosmo turns up his sad eyed look and while Keith has a lot of practice disregarding this particular trick of his familiar, even he has a hard time resisting this time. Hunk folds in an instant.</p><p>“Why don’t you two come inside and I’ll grab some of my latest creation to cheer you up?”</p><p>Keith manages to get the door before Hunk tries to reach it with his full hands. Warm air blows out from the inside of the bakery and Keith shivers, shuffling inside quickly. “Aren’t you cold, standing out there?”</p><p>“Hm?” Hunk looks back over his shoulder as he sets the tray down on the shop counter. “Oh, nope! It’s a relief after being around the hot ovens and deep fryers so long this morning, I’m sweating.”</p><p>The inside of the shop is bustling with Hunk’s staff, reorganising the cases and ringing up the line of customers. It seems like he’s got a Halloween rush too, and Hunk directs them over to an unoccupied stretch of counter. He sets the tray down with a resounding thunk and then skirts around to the other side. Kosmo sits beside Keith without any prompting, but his tail starts to wag and he side-eyes Keith with a doggy grin when Keith looks down at him.</p><p>
  <em>Snacks!</em>
</p><p>Hunk laughs from where he’s ducked down behind the counter. “Yeah, bud, snacks just for you. I’ve been working on some spiced dog cookies for the winter and I figured our Kosmo here would be the perfect taste tester.”</p><p>He emerges with a bowl of dark brown cookies, some pumpkin shaped, some bone shaped, some shaped like little paw prints. Kosmo’s ears perk right up. Hunk plucks out a pumpkin shaped one and offers it to the familiar, who stands up to take it delicately between his front teeth. His head fits just over the top of the counter, and he knows Keith would have chastised him if he’d put his paws up.</p><p>The cookie is gone in two bites, and Kosmo looks up for more.</p><p>“Verdict?” Hunk holds up another one, paw-shaped.</p><p>
  <em>Yum!</em>
</p><p>Hunk laughs as Kosmo licks his lips, searching for any last crumbs. He wraps up a good number of the testers for Keith to take home with them, to the familiar’s delight.</p><p>“You guys busy too? It’s nuts today!” Hunk hands over the bag of cookies to Keith, who tucks them into his backpack.</p><p>“Yeah, we’re on our way back to Shiro’s. Again. I keep running out of hawthorn, and my juniper stores somehow disappeared before my eyes.”</p><p>“Uh huh,” Hunk says, knowingly. “And you want a chance to see your man, I get it.”</p><p>Keith can’t help his blush, but he smiles at Hunk’s good-natured teasing.</p><p>“Oh! If you’re going to see Shiro, he’ll love some of these.” Hunk gestures to the tray of small pastries he’d been serving outside. “Pumpkin beignets! I’ll get Romelle to grab some fresh out of the deep fryer, they’re sweet and a little savory and spicy, super good. You want anything else?”</p><p>Keith considers. He’s never been a huge fan of pumpkin - it’s alright, but if he has the choice he’ll always choose the other big fall flavour.</p><p>“Anything apple on your menu today?”</p><p>Hunk smiles like he expected that question and slides what looks like a spiced apple turnover into the bag with the beignets. “Nutmeg and allspice it that one, a little different from usual! I think you’ll like it too. Make sure he takes a break and you two eat these together!”</p><p>“We’ll see,” Keith says, taking that bag too. It’s going to already be tough to walk to the herbal shop with Kosmo being able to smell all of these things in his backpack. “It’s real busy over there too. We barely have time to talk at all.”</p><p>“Sounds like you need a date night.”</p><p>“I’m hoping to get one tomorrow if we can swing it. Just gotta remember to ask him.”</p><p>“I got you, bud!” Hunk laughs as he rings Keith up. “Take a break, have a snack. It’ll be good for your concentration.”</p><p>Kosmo’s obviously got what he set out to get, since he’s devouring three more Hunk-baked Halloween dog cookies happily on the floor of the bakery. When Hunk managed to slip him those, Keith has no idea. Maybe it was Romelle when she brought the fresh pastries out - she loves Kosmo too.</p><p>They leave with a wave to Hunk who’s setting up another tray of beignets, and continue on their way to the herbal shop. The wind has picked up and Keith’s glad he grabbed his scarf before they left. The walk is brisk.</p><p>***</p><p>Shiro is swamped again when he gets to the shop, a line up of customers at the till and he can see a delivery person waiting off to the side as well. Allura is reaching down expensive herbs behind the counter, set up at a second till to deal with the amount of people. Shiro greets Keith with a wave when he comes in - Keith notices he has a streak of fairy dust up the side of one horn, and his apron is littered with bits of herbs and ingredients.</p><p>Keeping out of the way as much as possible, Keith taps the place on his head where Shiro’s horn is, hoping he gets the hint. Mercifully, it doesn’t take too much miming across the store for Shiro to get it, and he takes two fingers and gently prods around until he finds the fairy dust, shivering as he wipes it off. He sends Keith a grin and a heart gesture before turning an apologetic smile back to his customer.</p><p><em>Where did he learn that?</em> Keith thinks as he feels his face start to heat. He blows Shiro a kiss quickly before he can talk himself out of it and ducks behind a shelf.</p><p>Keith can gather a lot of things on his own before he needs to get up to the counter, so he hoists his backpack a little tighter on his back, making sure his hands are free for the four things on today’s list. He asks Kosmo to please stay close by, with his luck someone will stand on Kosmo’s tail and then Keith will have to deal with removing angry familiar teeth from a witch he doesn’t know. Not to mention it would be a hassle for Shiro.</p><p>Keith looks longingly at the wall of teas as they weave their way through the crowds. The aisles with the bulk stock aren’t too busy but Shiro’s teas are so popular the shelves are always full of people trying to choose. He doesn’t want to brave those crowds right now, especially not when he has a backpack full of sweets and a familiar who could lose his patience with this shop and eat them all at any time.</p><p>Keith manages to reach down the prepackaged hawthorn, and finds dried juniper boughs resplendent with berries tucked into a basket along one end cap. He eyes them - full boughs aren’t something Shiro usually carries, but at the same time full boughs make the spell Keith’s working on far easier. Did he bring them in just for Keith?</p><p>He really wouldn’t put it past him. Especially because the basket has exactly the right amount that Keith needs. He picks up the whole thing, setting the hawthorn in alongside.</p><p>Hollyhock is the next thing on his list but it’s only available in bulk. Thankfully Keith has had his reusable jars tared in the past, so he portions out what he needs after digging the jar out of his bag. Kosmo’s ears perk up as he opens the bin to scoop it out but Keith pushes his face away.</p><p>“This stuff makes you sneeze more than the powdered sugar does, remember?”</p><p>Kosmo makes a very un-dog-like harrumph and looks away.</p><p>The only other thing he needs is henbane. Keith looks back over to the counter - there’s still four people in line, fewer than before at least. The delivery driver is gone, and both Allura and Shiro are ringing customers through to try to move the line. As it can be poisonous, henbane is kept behind the counter.</p><p>With no other reason to linger, Keith gets in line. Kosmo sits patiently at his feet.</p><p>As luck would have it, by the time it’s his turn Allura is the one who’s free, but she must also be a mind reader because she just waves him to the side and takes the customer behind him.</p><p>He doesn’t have to wait long for Shiro’s current transaction to be finished. The witch in question smiles at Shiro, three new tea blends clutched to their chest. They bat their eyes a little as they’re leaving but Shiro has noticed who the next customer is and isn’t paying attention to anyone but Keith.</p><p>The moment he sets the basket down on the counter Shiro pushes it aside and leans across the counter to gently kiss his cheek.</p><p>“Hi baby!”</p><p>Over the summer Shiro had discovered human pet names - something absolutely absurd yet entirely enticing to the demon. It was strange enough that Shiro wanted to try it out on Keith to see what all the fuss was about - and tried out every one he came across. Keith has been called honey, darling, sugar, pumpkin, dearest, <em>the rose of my heart,</em> and several other increasingly obnoxious and ridiculous names. <em>Baby</em> made him blush the first time he heard it, though, and it’s managed to stick. Keith can’t say he minds.</p><p>Shiro had looked so happy that entire time, Keith didn’t have the heart to ask him not to do it so publicly. It was a super embarrassing but really sweet two weeks.</p><p>Shiro’s sharp teeth scrape just a little against his cheekbone as he pulls back, all smiles. Keith can’t help but smile back.</p><p>“Hey Shiro.”</p><p>“Back again?”</p><p>Keith snorts as Shiro starts to ring him up. “I can’t keep anything in stock this week. Oh, and I also need some henbane.” He swings his backpack around to fish out the labelled jar. There’s a little doodle of a skull on it, a reminder that this one needs to stay in the locked cabinet at home away from anyone who could get their paws in it. “Just fifteen grams should be fine.”</p><p>The henbane looks innocuous when Shiro fills up the jar, but Shiro is very careful, and caps it tightly when he’s finished. Keith tucks it away in the bottom of his bag, snagging the paper bag Hunk had helpfully labelled with an ‘S’ and his wallet at the same time.</p><p>The bag goes on the counter and Shiro’s nose twitches.</p><p>“As much as I want to, we can’t accept Hunk’s pastries as payment,” he teases. Keith sticks his tongue out and gets his card out as well.</p><p>It seems a little anachronistic that a completely non-mechanised, ancient looking shop would have such a fancy check-out system, but Shiro’s always assured him they have to keep up with the times. Keith taps his card and Shiro’s claws click on the tablet as he emails Keith his receipt.</p><p>“They’re obviously not payment but the pastries are for you,” Keith continues as he starts to pack everything up. “We stopped by there first because <em>someone</em> has been convincing Hunk to make him treats and he wanted to test them out.”</p><p>Kosmo wags his tail.</p><p>Shiro laughs and pulls the bag closer to peek inside. “These do look good. Are they all for me?”</p><p>“There’s an apple turnover in there for me. If you have a few minutes to spare, we could maybe eat together?”</p><p>They both take a look around the shop. It seems like they’re going to get lucky - the crowd has thinned out since Keith got up to the register, and Allura waves them off. She’ll handle the customers for ten minutes.</p><p>They take the pastries into the back, where Shiro puts the kettle on.</p><p>“This is perfect,” he says. “I wanted you to try this.”</p><p>Keith pulls out the pastries and sets them on the paper bag while Shiro gets a pot of tea steeping. Kosmo, the beggar, gets three more of Hunk’s cookies and is told to eat them slowly this time.</p><p>Shiro laughs and sets an oversized teacup in front of Keith. “Try it,” he says with a shy smile. He sets his own cup down in front of himself and pulls the pastries, biting into one of the fluffy beignets. His face lights up.</p><p>“Keith! These are delicious!”</p><p>Keith smiles. “Hunk thought you’d like them. They’re pumpkin beignets, like little doughnuts. Very seasonal.” He takes a sip of the tea Shiro has given him. The flavour bursts over his tongue, black tea and rose and lavender, and he can taste hints of marigold and of limeflower. It’s all of Keith’s favourite flavours, and there’s just a hint of magic in the water that has Keith’s lips tingling exactly as they do when he stands under the posy.</p><p>“Shiro,” he says, brow pinching as he feels emotions rising in his chest. “Is this?”</p><p>“Ah,” the demon across from him smiles shyly. “It’s called <em>New Love.</em> I was thinking about you when I made it.”</p><p>Keith can’t believe he got so lucky. “I love it.” He leans over, kissing Shiro soundly on the lips. When they part they’re both a little starry-eyed.</p><p>“I feel like I haven’t seen you in days,” Keith whispers.</p><p>“I know, baby. Me too.” Shiro looks apologetic, a hangdog look on his face. His little fangs poke out from his pout. “Soon though.”</p><p>“Yeah, you’re gonna be mine for a whole week, no interruptions.” Shiro laughs at that and it makes Keith smile. “But I was wondering if you have some time tomorrow after dinner? Or at dinner? Maybe we can get together for longer.”</p><p>Shiro hums, one clawed finger tapping against his chin.</p><p>“Tomorrow is kind of busy in the early evening for me, baby, we’ve got some things to do around the shop. But I can come by later if that’s okay? And stay the night too, if you have time.”</p><p>That, Keith thinks as he takes another sip, sounds perfect. The tea curls warm inside him.</p><p>***</p><p>Keith hadn’t quite anticipated how much later <em>later</em> actually was. He’s lying on his back on the couch, legs thrown over the arm, and contemplating just going to bed instead of flicking through his phone when there’s a knock at the door.</p><p>It’s midnight and Shiro is standing in his doorway, all grinning teeth and flicking tail. He’s got a bag on his shoulder and a flashlight stuck in one pocket. Keith’s eyebrows go up. He’d worked through dinner to get the last spells finished and everything is ready for the last deliveries tomorrow afternoon. He’s got a free morning, but by the look on Shiro’s face he’ll be spending it sleeping, since the demon is ready to go back out into the night.</p><p>“Hey?”</p><p>“Hi!” Shiro’s grin widens. “You’re not too tired, right?” The demon looks like he’s bouncing on his heels.</p><p>“Not too tired for what?”</p><p>Shiro just laughs, his eyes sparkling. He looks a little more alive tonight, Keith realises, like he can see the energy crackling beneath his skin. Like the edges of him aren’t quite as sharp. He’s still so enchanting though, and Keith takes his hand before he realises it. He finds his boots and jacket in his other hand, and puts them on.</p><p>Shiro winds a scarf around his neck, and Kosmo poofs into existence beside him. He looks between the two of them and then starts to smile too.</p><p>“Let’s go see if we can find her,” the demon says.</p><p>“Find who?”</p><p>Shiro tosses a look over his shoulder as Keith closes the door behind himself. Kosmo leans against him. “Black, of course.”</p><p>Like that answers the question. He’s heard Shiro mention Black once or twice in the past, but he doesn’t actually know who - or what - Black is.</p><p>“She only comes out at the witching hour,” Shiro says as he takes Keith’s hand. Kosmo’s nails click against the tile of the hallway floor as they make their way to the stairs and then out of the building. The night air is cold as it swirls around them, the scent of wood fires and decomposing leaves building around them.</p><p>Shiro tugs him forward. “If we want to catch her, we gotta be quick.”</p><p>Keith stumbles after him, but finds his footing. The shape of the wolf lopes next to him in the dark, gold eyes flashing. The world seems stretched a little thinner as Keith looks around.</p><p>“How are we going to find her?” He finds himself asking. He doesn’t even know what he’s looking for. A person? Another demon? ..Something else? It feels like something they should be looking for in the woods, or in the countryside somewhere. “We’re in the middle of the city.”</p><p>“Oh,” Shiro looks over his shoulder at Keith, then rubs his thumb against his where their hands are joined. “We just have to turn left instead of right.”</p><p>Keith doesn’t know what that means.</p><p>He’ll admit, he was looking forward to a late night date, maybe making a midnight snack together or cuddling on the couch and catching up, not quite a midnight stroll around town with an unknown destination.</p><p>Kosmo doesn’t seem unsure though. Keith looks between his familiar and his boyfriend and decides to trust, no matter how unsettled he feels.</p><p>***</p><p>It’s when he notices comfrey growing from the cracks in the sidewalk that Keith thinks something isn’t right.</p><p>When Shiro doesn’t have comfrey in stock, or if he needs it fresh, Keith will sometimes forage for it by the river about a half-hour’s drive away. It doesn’t grow in the city.</p><p>But here it is, purple flowers full and swaying in the breeze.</p><p>It’s also <em>far</em> past season for it to be flowering. Keith wants to slow down and examine it, figure out why it’s growing here of all places. How it’s growing here. Would it be useful? Maybe as an air purification treatment or something similar, for parts of the city where the air is more densely polluted, or for people who live around the factories. If it can grow in this atmosphere, it could open up some other avenues. Keith turns to look at it.</p><p>Shiro pulls him along even though he starts to drag.</p><p>“Don’t stare,” is all he says. He sounds cheery when he says it.</p><p>It feels like ages that they walk hand in hand, Kosmo trotting along on Keith’s other side, but when Keith looks up, the moon hasn’t moved from its position in the sky. Keith tries to relax.</p><p>Shiro points out some of the Halloween decorations as they walk, swinging their hands a little. He makes the same faces as the jack-o-lanterns they pass, mimicking them with such little success it startles laughter out of Keith. Kosmo howls beside them at the worst ones.</p><p>When he looks up again the moon has shifted, and he feels a stab of relief.</p><p>Shiro turns left.</p><p>The part of town Keith lives in is full of old buildings, their tall pointed roofs stretching towards the sky. They always seemed spookier at night, casting long, spindly shadows across the gardens and the streets. The streetlamps illuminate their faces in a soft yellow glow as they pass underneath.</p><p>It’s nice, actually. They’re walking slowly, looking at the decorations, letting the mist of the evening swirl around them. The moon is bright and Shiro is relaxed. He even kisses Keith in the shadows between some of the streetlamps - on one street, in between each one. It makes him a little giddy.</p><p>Shiro turns left.</p><p>Kosmo’s fur brushes electric up his other side. They hadn’t brought the harness and leash with them this time, it hadn’t occurred to Keith as they were leaving. There’s no one out here to see them though, so it doesn’t matter that Kosmo’s teeth are longer, or his claws come out to click on the ground. His smiles are more like the jack-o-lanterns’.</p><p>Shiro turns left.</p><p>Come to think of it, they’ve only turned left since they started on this walk. They’ll be back to Keith’s apartment before they know it and he wants to keep going. He’s having fun, despite his earlier unease.</p><p>Keith opens his mouth to say something but they turn left again into a covered alleyway between two houses. It’s dark, but there’s a lamp that flickers golden on the other end. And it’s not that much darker than outside. The three of them continue inside.</p><p>It’s just - Keith’s lived here a long time, and he’s never seen an alley here before.</p><p>It’s fine, Shiro’s hand is in his and he can see the white glint of his eyes, and feel the static of Kosmo-</p><p>But Kosmo’s not beside him.</p><p>He reaches out with his hand and touches nothing, with his heart and feels a happy whisper, but no familiar. He’s here, but not.</p><p><em>Keep going!</em> Kosmo laughs.</p><p>Shiro squeezes his hand and they take a few more steps into the alleyway.</p><p>A light clicks on, suddenly, and it takes a moment for Keith to realise it’s the flashlight from Shiro’s pocket. The beam isn’t steady, but they can see the cobbled ground in front of them. Keith breathes a sigh of relief.</p><p>Shiro laughs, letting go of his hand but wrapping his arm around Keith’s shoulders instead. He hands him the flashlight. “I brought this for you, why don’t you hold on to it?”</p><p>“Hm? Oh, thanks, Shiro.” Keith takes it, shining it steadily in front of him. They’ve been walking for a few minutes, but the light at the end of the alley seems just as far away as it did when they entered.</p><p>“What’s on the other end of this?”</p><p>“Black,” is all Shiro says.</p><p>Keith tries not to roll his eyes. He wants to keep them on his surroundings. “And who’s Black?”</p><p>“A friend.”</p><p>“And you always visit your friends at midnight the night before Halloween? Without notice?”</p><p>Shiro gives him an amused look Keith can just see in the darkness. “It’s when I’m free.”</p><p>Keith closes his eyes and shakes his head. The hand around his shoulders drifts to the middle of his back between his shoulder blades. It’s warm and centring, like Shiro so often is.</p><p>When he opens his eyes the light looks a little closer.</p><p>“Trust me?” Shiro asks as their footsteps echo. Keith trusts him with his life. He says as much and it makes Shiro blush brightly in the darkness.</p><p>Kosmo hasn’t reappeared, but that’s not cause for concern. He often goes off and does his own thing, he probably wanted to give them some privacy.</p><p>Right?</p><p>Keith is suddenly conscious of the fact that he isn’t holding Shiro’s hand anymore. It’s there against his back, but he wants it in his hand again.</p><p>A sway of purple out of the corner of his eye catches his attention again. He turns.</p><p>It’s comfrey again. Growing here, in an alleyway.</p><p>The flowers bob slightly, in a breeze Keith can’t feel. He takes two steps and sees something else in the beam of the flashlight.</p><p>It’s purple too. But the bell-shaped flowers are slimmer, the plant streamlined. This is belladonna.</p><p>Keith keeps some belladonna in his stock. It’s not common, but there are a few spells that need it. But Keith’s never seen it grow here. He’s moving forward to examine it, nerves coiling in his stomach.</p><p>And then, he sees something that turns the bundle of nerves to stone.</p><p>It’s a tall spire of purple bells, almost three feet tall up the side of the tunnel. Aconite doesn’t even grow here, Keith thinks wildly.</p><p>He doesn’t keep aconite at home. Wolfsbane - another of its names - makes it unsafe to keep with the wolf around, wolf-shaped he may only be. Keith doesn’t want to risk it.</p><p>The purple hoods of the flowers sway as he stands there, and he starts to find himself swaying along.</p><p>Then, the flashlight sputters and cuts out. Keith jolts, blinking in the sudden darkness. He can’t see the flowers, can’t see anything except for the light at the end, calling to him like an angler’s lure.</p><p>Shiro’s hand isn’t on his back.</p><p>He reaches out blindly to one side, hoping to catch hold of or give the demon a smack. Keith’s pretty sure whatever joke Shiro’s pulling has succeeded, and now he’s ready to yell at him for scaring him. His hand meets nothing.</p><p>“Shiro?”</p><p>He hears Shiro’s voice echoing around the tunnel, his laugh bouncing off the walls. “Come on, keep up!”</p><p>“Shiro?!”</p><p>Keith should have known this would happen. Doesn’t Shiro always like trying to startle him? Or playing jokes? They often get a good laugh, but this time Keith’s a little freaked out.</p><p>He takes a breath, then another. Reaching out, he can feel Shiro’s magic still in the air. Kosmo is around too, Keith isn’t alone. He takes a few more steps along the path but the cobbles are uneven and he trips on them a few times.</p><p>Growling, he stops. There is definitely a better way out of this than following an unknown light or depending on a flashlight that doesn’t work. Keith has a little emergency kindling in his pocket, and he digs it out now.</p><p>Holding it cupped between his hands he raises it to his lips and blows, breathing magic into the runed strip of cloth holding the twigs together. When he lowers his hands and uncovers them, a red flame alights in his palm. It’s bright enough to see, and when he looks up, Shiro is right in front of him.</p><p>“Don’t get lost, baby.”</p><p>Keith glares, grabbing his hand and slotting their fingers together roughly. “Then don’t run away!”</p><p>Shiro has the grace to look chagrined.</p><p>Back together, it’s only another minute of walking before they reach the end of the alley. As they step through into the moonlight, Kosmo slinks back into existence one paw at a time. His tail flicks as they cross the threshold completely.</p><p>Keith extinguishes the flame, tucking the remainder of the kindling back into his pocket if they need it for the way back. Looking around, it seems like they’re in a garden.</p><p>It’s full of purple flowers. Some dark, some light, many familiar and some that Keith doesn’t recognise at all. They sway lightly in the breeze that Keith can now feel on his skin, and he doesn’t see any belladonna or aconite anywhere. He’s not sure whether he wants to look hard enough to find them.</p><p>“Oh! There she is!” Shiro chirps, elated, and tugs Keith off to the left.</p><p>They round a bush heavy with blooms and come face to face with a cat lounging on a wall.</p><p>Shiro’s face is excited as he holds out his hand to the cat. It blinks, then yawns with a mouth full of too many needle-sharp teeth. Shiro coos. Its tail swishes back and forth, and Shiro copies the motion with his own. A greeting.</p><p>This must be Black. It would make sense. Keith watches the cat - or, she’s probably another demon in a cat form - stand up from her lounge on the wall and place two paws into Shiro’s outstretched palm. She stretches her neck and then Black boops her nose to Shiro’s. It’s by far the cutest thing Keith has ever seen.</p><p>Scratch that, the smile Shiro gives when Black starts to purr is the cutest thing he’s ever seen.</p><p>He reaches for Keith’s hand after Black settles back onto her perch, holding it out for the cat to scent. She does so gracefully, letting Keith stroke once down the back of her skull. She even lets Kosmo get away with getting his paws on the wall and sticking his nose right up against her. Only once, though.</p><p>“Black has been a close friend for many years,” Shiro says after they take a seat on a stone step in the garden. “She lives here among these plants. Some of the more particular items from the shop come from here, but mostly when I get the chance, I like to come here to enjoy the view. And the company.”</p><p>Black’s tail flicks under his nose as she settles into Shiro’s lap. He scrunches it up but Shiro manages not to sneeze. Keith tries not to laugh.</p><p>“So this is Black’s home?” Keith asks, glancing around. Black blinks contentedly in Shiro’s lap, kneading his thighs.</p><p>“Hm, yes. The garden is part of Black, and Black is a part of the garden. It’s just how her magic is, I suppose.”</p><p>Keith thinks about how the dried rose posy hanging in the doorframe of his workspace shimmers with the same purple hue.</p><p>“So you learned some things from her?” He’s seen that purple magic in other things Shiro has done, always mixed with black and sometimes a little silver.</p><p>He smiles, twines his hands with Keith’s.</p><p>“Black helped me out a lot with this.” He gestures to his right arm, completely black and clawed more fiercely than his left. The texture is similar to tree bark, sometimes. Shiro does his best to keep the palm of his hand soft, to be able to be gentle with Keith’s skin, he says.</p><p>It’s been like that for as long as Keith has known him, and he’s never pressed for the story. The reason isn’t important. If Shiro wants him to know, he’ll tell him when he’s ready.</p><p>“The garden is beautiful, but also a place that feels like home,” Shiro admits. “I’m glad I got to bring you now.”</p><p>Keith is very glad too. Kosmo also seems to be enjoying the quiet and the atmosphere. “Do you usually come for a visit around Halloween?”</p><p>“Yep. It’s easiest to take the alleyway this time of year, and that’s the most straightforward way to get here. Just don’t get lost in the flowers on the way. They like to catch unsuspecting witches.”</p><p>Keith shoves his shoulder gently. “Thanks for telling me now. And for bringing a half-dead flashlight along, what was I supposed to do?”</p><p>Shiro just grins at him, curling his fingers around Keith’s hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss. His tail wraps around Keith’s waist and a loose hold.</p><p>“I knew you’d figure it out. You’re the smartest witch I know.”</p><p>“Oh?” Keith leans his head on Shiro’s shoulder, content to sit on the stone bench with Black in Shiro’s lap and Kosmo at Keith’s feet.</p><p>“Yep. The smartest, the most beautiful, the bringer of the best snacks. You’ve got many good qualities, baby.”</p><p>Keith starts to blush, hiding his face in Shiro’s shoulder.</p><p>“Still need work on your pronunciation, though.”</p><p>Keith thumps him lightly. He just laughs and kisses the top of Keith’s head.</p><p>“Thanks for coming out here with me tonight,” Shiro says after a moment of quiet. “Black and I don’t always do much when we’re together, but I’ve been wanting to share this place with you.”</p><p>Keith lifts his head and looks around. The garden is walled, he can see the stone edges behind the flowers. It’s not large, but big enough to walk around in, to be alone if needed. The stars shine bright above them, and the sounds of the city are absent. All of the flowers and even some of the leaves are shades of purple, like Black’s eyes, like the way Shiro’s magic shines. The space feels familiar. It feels like an extension of Shiro.</p><p>“I’m just glad to spend time with you,” Keith says honestly. And it’s true, any moment spent with Shiro is well spent. There’s no one in the universe he’d rather be with.</p><p>When he leans up to kiss Shiro’s lips, the magic in the air sparkles around them, and he can feel Shiro’s smile. It’s soft, content, relaxed. Many things Shiro hasn’t been in the last few days.</p><p>This garden is good for them, Keith thinks as he snuggles back down, reaching out a hand for Kosmo. He’s been missing this kind of closeness. Soon they’ll have to return to the city and their friends and their lives, but Keith doesn’t worry.</p><p>He has a feeling they’ll be back soon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can find me on twitter! <a href="http://twitter.com/thimblee">thimblee</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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